A Divergent Life
by Fourtris764
Summary: A group of friends all born in Abnegation, choose different paths at the Choosing ceremony. How will Ayddia survive Dauntless while keeping her Divergence unnoticed, while Jonathan struggles to test his witts in Erudite as he struggles to keep his DIvergence unseen? Find out by reading a Divergent Life.


_**Divergent**_

**Ayddia's Pov**

I walk out of my house wearing a gray loose t-shirt and gray pants and I start towards the bus stop that is located down the street. Around me the ground is cracked and uneven. The middle of the city was redone and they slowly worked their way to the outside of it, but they ran out of supplies and couldn't complete it. As I continue to walk, I meet up with Vianne Pham. She attends school with me and we have become friends over the last 16 years, at least as close of friends as we could be. It is hard to learn about someone else here in Abnegation because everyone knows talking about one's self is self indulgent. Vianne had always been better than me at being selfless, or at least she did a good job making sure others felt like their needs came first. For me it was always hard. I was a naturally curious person and keeping my mouth shut didn't come naturally.

"Good Morning, Ayddia," she greets me, with her voice a little hushed. That is the way it is here; to keep our voice down helps us to keep from drawing attention to ourselves and think more of others.

"How are you?" She asks me. It is apart of the rules to ask that of everyone that before you say anything else.

"I am fine, how are you?"

"I am doing great." We walk in silence. Eventually Matt crosses path with us and joins Vianne by her side. He starts to talk to Vianne as I walk next to them awkwardly. They flirt with each other the most they can in Abnegation. I don't say a word. They ask each other how they are and have normal Abnegation conversation. Eventually Jonathan catches up with us from his house and starts to talk to me. I sigh a sigh of relief, as I am very grateful for this because being quiet was getting hard and awkward.

"Hey," he says, "How is it going?" Jonathan was selfless too, but he seemed to also have trouble always thinking of others. Jonathan and I were closer than Vianne and I, because him and I both know we don't belong. I know he won't stay here. I have known this for awhile, well I have figured it out through educated guesses,but something about his expression whenever we talk about the aptitude test, it wasn't just a distaste for talking about himself, it seemed almost like guilt.

"I am doing fine," I reply. He looks over at Matt and Vianne and smirks. All of our friends agree that they are something but teasing can be selfish to do; it is shunned upon. We approach the bus stop. As we get there we see Melissa talking with our friend Jessica and Benjamin. We greet each other in a friendly way and stand in silence other than a few hushed voices. The bus pulls up and we climb in. We all stand up in the back because sitting in a seat would be too self serving. The bus pulls up at the school and we all get off, Abnegation getting off last. When we get off Jonathan turns to me.

"Aptitude testing is today,"

"Mhm,"

"Are you nervous?"

"I guess, I mean I don't really know what I'll get, but no one does in the first place, right?"

"Yeah, apparently 95 percent of people get their faction of origin." I head to Advanced Math while he heads to Advanced Science.

"See you later," I say and I walk into the classroom. I sit next to a window and zone out, thinking about the aptitude test. Today after class we would meet in the cafeteria and take the test.

The aptitude test is a test that every faction member takes when they turn 16. This test helps us decide what faction to choose.The aptitude test started when the founders first created Chicago. The founders all blamed the corruption of the world for different things, ignorance, cowardice, selfishness, wars and fighting, and deception. Together, these became factions. Those who blamed deception created Candor. They value fairness and honesty. They are our judges and law enforcers. They always speak their mind, even when you would rather the didn't. Those who blamed wars and fighting created Amity. They farm the land. They are all about kindness and peace, always happy, but even when you gain lose qualities, you still lose others. Those who blamed ignorance for the problems of the world, created Erudite. Those in Erudite value knowledge and wisdom. They are the smart ones of the bunch. When they gained knowledge, they become greedy and prideful. Then there is Dauntless. Dauntless value bravery and blamed the downfall of the world on cowardice. They jump of trains and have piercing everywhere. They are loud and free. Then their is my faction, Abnegation. We value selflessness and reject vanity. We focus on projecting outwards and helping others before ourselves. We help the factionless, people who don't belong in any factions, and we also run the government.

Today I will have to choose. Where do I belong? I have been asking myself that for 16 years and still haven't found the answer. Maybe just choosing a faction will prove my loyalty. I don't know but I need to figure out soon.

Dauntless Manifesto

"We believe that cowardice is to blame for the world's injustices. We believe that peace is hard-won, that sometimes it is necessary to fight for peace.

But more than that:

We believe that justice is more important than peace.

We believe in freedom from fear, in denying fear the power to influence our decisions.

We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.

We believe in acknowledging fear and the extent to which it rules us.

We believe in facing that fear no matter what the cost to our comfort, our happiness, or even our sanity.

We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves.

We believe, not just in bold words but in bold deeds to match them.

We believe that pain and death are better than cowardice and inaction because we believe in action.

We do not believe in living comfortable lives.

We do not believe that silence is useful.

We do not believe in good manners.

We do not believe in empty heads, empty mouths, or empty hands.

We do not believe that learning to master violence encourages unnecessary violence.

We do not believe that we should be allowed to stand idly by.

We do not believe that any other virtue is more important than bravery."

Abnegation Manifesto

"I will be my undoing If I become my obsession.

I will forget the ones I love If I do not serve them.

I will war with others If I refuse to see them.

Therefore I choose to turn away from my reflection,

To rely not on myself

But on my brothers and sisters,

To project always outward

Until I disappear." *

(*Some members add a final line: "And only God remains." That is at the discretion of each member, and is not compulsory.)

Candor Manifesto

_Dishonesty is rampant, Dishonesty is temporary, Dishonesty makes evil possible."_

As it stands now, lies pervade society, families, and even the internal life of the individual. One group lies to another group, parents lie to children, children lie to parents, individuals lie to themselves. Dishonesty has become so integral to the way we relate to one another that we rarely find ourselves in authentic relationships with others. Our dark secrets remain our own.

Yet it is our secrets that cause conflict. When we are dishonest with the people around us, we begin to hate ourselves for lying; when we are dishonest with ourselves, we can never attempt to correct the flaws we find within us, the flaws we are so desperate to hide from our loved ones, the flaws that make us lie.

What has become clear is that lies are just a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Lying to spare a person's feelings, even when the truth would help them to improve, damages them in the long run. Lying to protect yourself lasts for so long before the truth emerges. Like a wild animal, the truth is too powerful to remain caged. These are examples we clearly see in our own lives, yet we fail to understand that they do not just apply to the dynamic between ourselves and our neighbors, or ourselves and our friends.

What is society but a web of individual-to-individual relationships? And what is conflict except one person's dark secret crashing into another person's dark secret? Dishonesty is a veil that shields one person from another. Dishonesty allows evil to persist, hidden from eyes of those who would fight it.

_"Dishonesty leads to suspicion. Suspicion leads to conflict. Honesty leads to peace."_

We have a vision of an honest world. In this world, parents do not lie to their children, and children do not lie to their parents; friends do not lie to one another; spouses do not lie to each other. When we are asked our opinions we are free to give them without having to consider any other responses. When we engage in conversation with others, we do not have to evaluate their intentions, because they are transparent. We have no suspicion, and no one suspects us.

And most of all — yes, above all else —we are free to expose our dark secrets because we know the dark secrets of our neighbors, our friends, our spouses, our children, our parents, and our enemies. We know that while we are flawed in a unique way, we are not unique because we are flawed. Therefore we can be authentic. We have no suspicions. And we are at peace with those around us.

_"Truth makes us transparent. Truth makes us strong. Truth makes us inextricable."_

We will raise our children to tell the truth. We will do this by encouraging them to speak their minds at every moment. For the child, withholding words is the same as lying. We will be honest with our children even at the expense of their feelings. The only reason people cannot bear honesty now is because they were not raised hearing the truth about themselves, and they can't stand to. If children are raised to hear both honest praise and honest criticism, they will not be so fragile as to crumble beneath the scrutiny of their peers. A life of truth makes us strong. Adulthood will be defined as a time at which each member of society is capable of bearing every other member's dark secrets, just as every other member will be subjected to The Full Unveiling in which every hidden part of their life is laid bare before their fellow members. They, too, will see the hidden parts of their fellow members' lives. In this way we bear one another's secrets. In this way we become inextricable. The truth makes us inextricable."

Amity Manifesto

**Conversations of Peace**

Trust

A son says to his mother:

"Mother, today I fought with my friend."

His mother says: "Why did you fight with your friend?"

"Because he demanded something of me, and I would not give it to him."

"Why did you not give it to him?"

"Because it was mine."

"My son, you now have your possessions, but you do not have your friend. Which would you rather have?"

"My friend."

"Then give freely, trusting that you will also be given what you need."

Self-Sufficiency

A daughter says to her father:

"Father, today I fought with my friend."

Her father says: "Why did you fight with your friend?"

"Because she insulted me, and I was angry."

"Why were you so angry?"

"Because she lied about me." (In some versions: "Because I was hurt by her words.")

"My daughter, did your friend's words change who you are?"

"No."

"Then do not be angry. The opinions of others cannot damage you."

Forgiveness

A husband says to his wife:

"Wife, today I fought with my enemy."

His wife says: "Why did you fight with your enemy?"

"Because I hate him."

"My husband, why do you hate him?"

"Because he wronged me."

"The wrong is past. You must let it rest where it lies."

Kindness

A wife says to her husband:

"Husband, today I fought with my enemy."

Her husband says: "Why did you fight with your enemy?""

"Because I spoke cruel words to her."

"My wife, why did you speak cruel words to her?"

"Because I believed them to be true."

"Then you must no longer think cruel thoughts. Cruel thoughts lead to cruel words, and hurt you as much as they hurt their target."

Involvement (Used to be part of the Manifesto but later got taken out)

One friend says to another:

"Friend, today I fought with my enemy."

The other friend says: "Why did you fight with your enemy?"

"Because they were about to hurt you."

"Friend, why did you defend me?"

"Because I love you."

"Then I am grateful."

Erudite Manifesto

**Conversations of Peace**

Trust

A son says to his mother:

"Mother, today I fought with my friend."

His mother says: "Why did you fight with your friend?"

"Because he demanded something of me, and I would not give it to him."

"Why did you not give it to him?"

"Because it was mine."

"My son, you now have your possessions, but you do not have your friend. Which would you rather have?"

"My friend."

"Then give freely, trusting that you will also be given what you need."

Self-Sufficiency

A daughter says to her father:

"Father, today I fought with my friend."

Her father says: "Why did you fight with your friend?"

"Because she insulted me, and I was angry."

"Why were you so angry?"

"Because she lied about me." (In some versions: "Because I was hurt by her words.")

"My daughter, did your friend's words change who you are?"

"No."

"Then do not be angry. The opinions of others cannot damage you."

Forgiveness

A husband says to his wife:

"Wife, today I fought with my enemy."

His wife says: "Why did you fight with your enemy?"

"Because I hate him."

"My husband, why do you hate him?"

"Because he wronged me."

"The wrong is past. You must let it rest where it lies."

Kindness

A wife says to her husband:

"Husband, today I fought with my enemy."

Her husband says: "Why did you fight with your enemy?""

"Because I spoke cruel words to her."

"My wife, why did you speak cruel words to her?"

"Because I believed them to be true."

"Then you must no longer think cruel thoughts. Cruel thoughts lead to cruel words, and hurt you as much as they hurt their target."

Involvement (Used to be part of the Manifesto but later got taken out)

One friend says to another:

"Friend, today I fought with my enemy."

The other friend says: "Why did you fight with your enemy?"

"Because they were about to hurt you."

"Friend, why did you defend me?"

"Because I love you."

"Then I am grateful."

:)


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